Improvement in hinged gun-rest



J. HAWKINS.

Rest for Fire-Arms Patented May 14, 1867.

N. FILTERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHING'DN. D CV @atten atrnt ffies.

IMPROVEMENT IN HINGED GUN-REST.

ttlge dgsmle referat tu it tiges @letters uttnt mit making part nf its same'.

T0 ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: l

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HAwKINs, of West Windsor, New Jersey, have invented certain improvements in Fire-Arms; and I do hereby, declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon.

My invention consists in a jointed r-od connected to a plate sliding beneath the barrel of aire-arm, so as to be either folded close to the latter, or turned down to form a rest for the forward end of lthe piece; and my invention further consists in a spring-catch arranged as described hereafter', for securing the bayonet to the barrel.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation. On reference tothe accompanying drawing, which forms a part ofthis specification- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a riile showing my improvement.

Figure?, a section on the line 1-2, tig. 1', drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figures 3, 4, and 5, detached sectional viewsof parts of the {ire-arm draw'r to an enlarged scale.

A is the stock, and B the barrel of the fire-arm, which is provided with a hammer and the usual lock and trigger for operating the same. The under side of the barrel B is of such increased thickness as to admit of an opening being made for the reception of the ramrod, C, and to a plate, D, which is secured to the under side of the barrel, and extends the entire length of the same, is adapted a slide, F, to the under side of which is jointed one. end of" a rod, G, the latter being divided into two lengths, a and b, hinged together at x, and on thc rod i"s a slide II, by means of which the sections may be held together when the rod is folded, as shown in iig. 1. At the under side of-the barrel, near the rear end of the same, slides a plate, I, from the forward edge of which projects a lip, e, a spring, z', tending to maintain the plate at the limit of its forward motion. The socket J of a bayonet is adapted to the. end of the barrel, and in the plate D, near the muzzle, is a springcatch-'a with an inclined end and an abrupt shoulder, the llatter (when the bayonet is in its place on the barrel) projecting beyond the-edge'oi` the socket, and retaining the latter in its place. When the fire-arm is not required for use, the section Z of the rod G is folded against the upper section a, and is secured by the slide H, the slide F is brought to the frontv end ofthe barrel, the plate I is withdrawn, and the bar G is folded against the barrel, as shown in fig. 1, when the plate I.is moved forward so that its lip e shall underlap the end of the section a, and retain the bar in its position. When it is desired to use the piece, the plate I is withdrawn so as to release the bar G, and thelatter is turned down to the position shown in red lines, iig, I, the lower end bearing on the ground, and the bar thus forming a steady rest for the forward portion of the piece. When the operator is behind a bank, or in a kneeling position, the bar G may be shortened by folding the section Z against the section a, so that the end of the latter may bear on the ground; the slide F may also be moved along the plate Dto any desired position beneath the barrel. `Whenithe bayonet has to bc removed the end of the catch n is pressed upwards towards the' barrel until the shoulder of the catch is removed from the edge of the socket J, when the latter may be readily slipped from its place.

It will be apparent that this device may be applied to muskets, carbincs, shot-guns, or riies.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The slideF1 and jointed rod Gr, in combination with a, plate, D, beneath the barrel B of a redarm, the whole being constructed and arranged as described.

In testiuionywheieof I'have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two Subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH HAWKINS.

Witnesses:

l?. S. Soovntg Ei BARR. 

